Barbie and the Three Musketeers: Louis
by Chrystellyne
Summary: This is Barbie and the Three Musketeers from Louis' perspective. Plus a scene I added at the end  Because the girl should always get her prince charming


PART 1: IT FLIES!

"Haha!" I cry as I watch my model balloon float higher into the air. I begin to follow it down the hall. "Yes! It flies! Hahaha!"

I pause and watch it float through the grand arches of the castle hall. Overexcited I cry, "And they said it couldn't be done." I continue to follow it all the way to the grand hall, calling my cousin's name to prove that it does fly. As I walk, I bump into a young blonde maid, wearing pink sweeping the floor.

"Oh, uh," I'm speechless for a moment, caught off guard. Just then I hear a pop. The balloon had bumped a pointy edge of the chandelier. I watch in disappointment as it sinks back down to Earth landing on the grand staircase. "Sorry," I finally apologize to the maid.

"Uh, it's alright," she clearly doesn't know quite what to say. I stride past her to retrieve my model.

As I reach down, my cousin ascends the stairs. "Louis, we need to talk," he states.

"Cousin!" I exclaim. "Did you see that? I have developed a prototype balloon that floats suspended in the air. Just think how this discovery will work for my flying machine!"

"Oh, Louis," Philippe puts is arm on my shoulders. "You know man will never be able to fly."

"Not yet," I pull away. "But it is my dream."

Philippe puts is hands on my shoulders and tells me, "Future kings don't have time for dreams. We need to finish up the plans for your birthday celebration."

"Philippe," I sigh. "You're still regent another few days till I'm eighteen. So you're in charge of the details. My flying machine can't wait!"

I proceed down the steps. All of a sudden, there's a snap. The chandelier comes crashing to the ground, missing me by only a few inches. But, I still go toppling down the steps. Philippe helps me up. A couple of musketeers come running along with Philippe's right hand.

"We heard a crash!" they exclaim. "Are you alright your highness?"

"This chandelier barely missed the Prince!" Phillip yells. "I demand to know what is going on here!"

I look up and analyze the place where the chandelier once hung. "Check the rigging. There must be a fault in one of the suspension cables."

Philippe guides me out of the hall. "Make sure this doesn't happen again," he orders his right hand as we leave.

PART 2: SEEING FRANCE FROM THE CLOUDS

I study how the hot air inflates the balloon, carefully recording all my discoveries into piles of notebooks. I place the book down and turn to back to my machine knowing one day man will soon fly. I climb into the basket and check all of the controls. Everything appears to be in order. I marvel as I am truly floating on air. A small bird lands next to me.

"Hello, locus tela fluviatilis," the bird cocks his head at me. "Glorious day, isn't it? This is fantastic!"

Suddenly the wind begins to pick up and the ropes holding my flying machine down, begin to break. I decide it's time to make a graceful exit. But before I can, the last rope snaps and I fall over the side. My foot catches one of the ladder rungs and I dangle upside down. Two musketeers jump up trying to help me but it's in vein. My flying machine ascends upward and upward as I cry for help. I only catch a glimpse of a pink clad figure jump into the basket. Then my attention is focused on how close I am getting to the castle wall. The balloon pulls away, so I'm assured that someone is helping me, sort of. A blonde girl peeks over the side.

"Hold on!" she cries and begins to pull on the ladder.

"Do I have a choice?" I ask. My balloon spins so I can see that we are headed for some trees. I cry out. "Tree! Ascend!"

"How?" the girl asks.

"Try increasing the heat," I suggest. "I think."

"Why did you launch it, if you don't know how it works?" she demands.

"I didn't launch it," I clarify. "Turn up the heat!"

I cringe and barely miss the tips of the trees. It worked! Increasing the heat worked. The girl finally manages to pull me back into the basket.

"Are you alright?" she asks. Getting a look at her now, I can see it's the same maid I bumped into yesterday.

"I think so," I say. She smiles and looks down at the rope that snapped. "To whom do I owe my thanks?"

The wind knocks us closer together. We both try to keep our respective distance from each other. But it's kind of hard.

"Uh, Corrine, your highness," she curtsies.

"Since you just saved my life," I tell her. "Why don't you call me Louis?"

She blushes. And we ascend higher into the sky. The view is magnificent and she seems in no real hurry to get down to the ground.

"I never thought I'd see France from the clouds," she sighs. I turn and stand next to her.

"My whole life it's been my dream to fly," I admit. She's very easy to talk to. "Everyone told me, man couldn't fly. But sometimes you must peruse your dreams..."

"Even when everyone else says it's impossible," she chimes in. I look at her in amazement and she blushes.

"I could spend all of my time inventing," I continue. "But in a few days that will be over."

She looks at me with her big grey eyes, "Why?"

"Once I'm king, there will be no time for such fancy," the disappointment in my voice is clear.

"Just because you have your feet firmly on the ground, doesn't mean you can't stop reaching for the sky," she cheers me up. She runs up to me, placing her hand on top of mine. It shoots bolts through my body. "Look!" she pulls back in embarrassment. "There's the castle."

The balloon begins to drift down. I realize our time together is over.

"We're running out of fuel," I state. "I'm going to have to bring us down."

"Do you know how to land this thing?" her voice is full of skepticism.

I pull on some of the chords and shrug, "There's a first time for everything."

"Too bad we can't stay up here forever," she sighs. I perked up a little when I hear her say _we_ and _forever_. "It's like anything you wish can come true."

From the sound of her voice I can hear a deep yearning, so I ask, "And what is your wish, Corrine?"

"I," she hesitates. "Want to be a musketeer."

"You can't be serious," I laugh. "Girls can't be musketeers."

The basket hits the ground launching me and Corrine out and on to the grass. I take her arm and help her up. She pulls away crying, "Let me go!"

"What's wrong?" I can't figure why she's shifted from sheer awe to anger.

"How is it that a prince can envision a man flying in the air but not a girl as a musketeer?" she turns away and I realize that I've made a terrible error. Two musketeers arrive on horse back to come to my aid. But I can only watch, in regret, the beautiful Corrine leave me. I contemplate going after her but I decide against it.

"Sire, are you alright?" one of them asks.

_Not anymore._

PART 3: THE BALL

I look out over the hall, still guilty about what I said to Corrine. "Another ball," I sigh. It isn't the ball so much, it's that Corrine won't be there.

"Your last," Philippe startles me. "As prince. Your next will be as King."

"I suppose that's true but it doesn't make these things any easier," I shrug. "You sure you can't stay for the ceremony?"

"You are grown up now," Philippe says. "My job here is done."

I place my hands on his shoulders, "I'll miss you."

"Well, I'll never be far from the castle," he smiles.

The guests begin to pour in, from near and far. The trumpets blare as I enter. "Ladies and gentlemen," he announces me. "His royal highness, Prince Louis."

I hear the giddy laughs and screams from the ladies in the hall.

"The Prince's sword dance," I am handed a sword. And walk into the crowd to choose my partner.

Two over eager girls try to call my attention. When I walk over, they're arguing over something. But they stop and curtsy. I gait past them to a beautiful blonde-haired maiden in a gorgeous pink dress. She faces away but there's something about her that I recognize.

"May I have the honor?" I hold out my hand.

She turns and for a speechless moment she turns back to her friends. The one in blue looks a little concerned. The one in green is nodding. And the other girl, in purple is smiling. She spins back and curtsies. "Sure," she takes my hand. And the dance begins.

When I catch a glimpse at her friends again, they all look so glad to see her dance. The girl in green is saying something to the girl in blue, who has changed her mood to awe.

"You look so familiar," I tell my partner, looking into her big grey eyes. "Do I know you?"

"Uh, no, your highness," she replies.

"Are you certain? Perhaps we met at another ball," I suggest. "In Vienna."

"This is my first ball," she admits.

"Oh, I see," I consider other places. "Perhaps we met in the country."

"Definitely not," she rejects that one as well.

"Tell me, what is your name?" I insist.

"Uh, Lady Barbecue," she answers and she tells me her back story.

"So you say the Barbecue family comes from Italy," I make sure I keep her story straight.

"Yes, as do our cousins," she informs me. "The Pepperoni's."

"Fascinating," I smile at her.

For a few moments, she seems distracted by something. "Uh, shall we get some punch?" she inquires.

"But the dance isn't over yet," I tell her.

A short while later, the fireworks begin, marking the end of the dance. Everyone marvels in their beauty.

"Her sword is real!" someone cries. "Someone stop her!"

I turn to see Lady Barbecue throw the sword on to the floor. Several men surround me and one takes me away. As I am guided, I watch as Lady Barbecue and her friend transform into awesome fighters. But I am thrown into a secret passage behind one of the walls that I didn't know existed. And the door shuts behind me.

A figure approaches in a lion's mask. "Who are you?" I demand. He removes his mask revealing he's Philippe. I sigh in relief. "Philippe, I thought you left for the chateau."

"I turned around as soon as I heard there was trouble," he tells me.

"What is this place?" I look at the many wide passageways.

"It's a secret passageway, built for the king's protection," Philippe tells me. "Follow me."

We walk down one of the corridors to an elevator. I look up, "Fascinating. If the cables were cantilevered at a more oblique angle the barring weight would double. I must try that." Then I realize something. "How is it that you knew about the plot against me?"

"I told you my men alerted me," he answers.

"You said you turned around as soon as you heard there was trouble," I state.

"Yes," he says.

"But you were already at the dance when it happened," I remember seeing him dance with one of Lady Barbecue's friend.

Philippe scythes a sword. I narrowly miss it, shoving it into the grate behind me and jump out of the elevator and into the corridor. Seeing Philippe stop the elevator, I dash away.

"Louis, there's no escape," he calls after me. I run up and up until I'm cornered on the roof with no escape. I begin to run back but Philippe is already blocking my path.

He laughs and walks toward me backing me to the edge of the roof., "That's right cousin, a dead end. All these years I advised you, only to be suddenly tossed out the day you become King. You're no King, Louis. You're just a starry-eyed inventor."

"I never asked to be King, Philippe" I plead with him.

"Which makes it all the more reason," he prepares for the fatal blow. "I should be King, not you."

Thankfully, I see Lady Barbecue swinging from one of the draperies toward me. She lands between Philippe and me.

"You again, Blondie?" Philippe rolls his eyes.

"You will never be King," she thrusts at him and I watch as they skillfully commence in battle until Philippe knocks her sword out of her hand. It lands only a few feet from me.

"You just couldn't stay away could you?" Philippe says.

"Not when I knew what you and your men were up to," she responds showing no fear.

I get on my knees and reach for the sword. A sneer crosses his face, "Actually, your persistence is quite useful. When you couldn't finish off the Prince at the ball, you came up here and had one final battle. Unfortunately, I was too late to help the Prince and when you lunged for me I had no other choice than to send you off the roof to your tragic demise."

With the sword in my hand I throw it toward her. "Lady Barbecue," I call. "Catch."

And she does. "Nice story," she points her sword at Philippe. "Too bad yours won't have a happy ending."

The battle commences, like they're having a conversation. Until, Lady Barbecue digs Philippe's sword into the stone roof. Philippe backs up, slipping and hanging for his life. Lady Barbecue pulls his sword out and tosses it aside. She walks toward me.

"Are you alright?" her voice sounds so familiar when she says that; like she's said that to me before.

"Yes," I reply. I grasp her arm. "I am. Are you?"

Behind her I see Philippe pull out a dagger. "Look out!" I cry. And like we're dancing we hold the sword, I hold her by the waist and we thrust at him together. We smile at each other thinking the same thing, we make a great team.

Monsieur Traville grabs Philippe. "Arrest him," I order. Following them out, Lady Barbecue's colorful friends run out. I stand by the carriage watching Philippe try to escape.

"To think I trust you," I shake my head.

"Does this mean I won't be invited to your birthday party next year?" he smiles.

I scowl as he's thrown into the carriage and taken away. The girls all come out.

"I want to see the faces of my rescuers," I request.

One-by-one they pull their masks off. The green girl, the purple girl and the blue girl all look very familiar but I can't quite place them. Lastly Lady Barbecue pulls off her mask.

"Corrine?" I stutter. Now I know why her blonde hair, grey eyes and voice were all so familiar. She's been in my mind ever since the balloon ride. And now I can place the other girls as the other maids that worked with Corrine.

Madame de Bossé comes out and gasps at the sight of the girls. "You!" she turns to me, "Your highness, those girls have been banned from the castle."

I look at Corrine, "Is this true, Corrine?"

"Yes, your highness," she nods.

I look at the line of girls. "Then, this is a serious offense."

"Arrest them immediately," Madame de Bossé grins.

"After what you've done you girls don't belong at the palace," I sigh.

PART 4: THE HAPPY ENDING (according to Mattel)

"Your place is with the musketeers," I announce. The crowd cheers as I have officially appointed the first female musketeers.

My balloon spills petals all over the crowd. The girls and I all walk down into the crowd. Everyone finishes up their cheering. I see a woman walk up to Corrine and hug her. I figure it must be her mother. The woman looks at me.

"Corrine," I begin. She turns. I don't quite know how to say this. "Um, so, to celebrate the coronation would you perhaps like to take another balloon ride with me?"

"That would be," she starts.

Unfortunately Monsieur Traville interrupts, "Musketeers, we have just received word of a plot, against the King!"

"We'll have to take that balloon ride later," she hops on to her horse. "Right now, I've got somewhere else to be."

She rides off followed by the other girls. I watch as the four ride off into the sunset, their dreams fulfilled.

*Didn't you wonder about that balloon ride? Well this is what I came up with*

PART 5: THE (real) HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Corrine rides up to my balloon still adorned in her musketeer uniform.

"Sorry, I'm late," she slides off her horse and jumps into the basket.

"No problem," I assure her opening the fire making the balloon begin to rise. "We just might end up floating over France in the dark."

She laughs, "Yes, your highness."

"Please, Corrine," I take her hand. "You've saved me too many times to still be calling me, your highness. I keep telling you, call me Louis."

"Of course," she smiles.

"Um, Corrine," I rub my neck nervously. She turns to me. Seeing her face is making this harder. "I have something to tell you."

"Yes, uh, Louis," she's obviously uncomfortable calling me something so informal.

"Ever since I first met you, there's been something about you. And I'm still not quite sure what it is," I continue. Corrine steps closer to me. I slide my hand down her arm. "But I've been attracted to it, to you ever since."

She blushes a very beautiful pink color. "I don't quite know what to say," she admits. "But I know that I've definately been feeling strange since I met you. And I didn't know what it was."

She's been moving closer to me. I take her waist and kiss her. Her hands snake up around my neck. Neither of us want to pull away. But we do. Our foreheads are still touching.

"Corrine, I know being a musketeer is very important to you," I begin. "But, will you marry me?

"Yes," Corrine kisses me.

"I now pronounce you man and wife," the priest finishes. Corrine looks so beautiful in white. "You may now kiss the bride."

We both lean in and kiss, binding our marriage.

"Presenting, their royal highnesses, King Louis and Queen Corrine," the priest announces.


End file.
